Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Oh, I was so close to being finished. But, then, I realized I should pin it together and try it on. Alais, the tank was too short at the bottom and the seam for the straight stitch section sat too high. I decided to re-read LIckety-Knits suggested changes and I had missed one other suggested change to the pattern, knitting the straight stitch area below the armholes, an inch longer. Reading further, she inspired me to go ahead and frog (rip-it, rip-it) the tank down to the end of the lotus pattern and add an additional row of the pattern (I must have an even longer torso) and then add the additional into of straight stitch.

What this means now, is I'm knitting like crazy to try and get it finished before leaving this Friday for Maui. My hopes are diminishing that this will actually be a wearable clothing item, but I will keep at it.

Should I actually get this done in time, my next plan is to finish my Maui Monkey Socks while in Hawaii. This will be the 2nd trip back for my yarn, as it was actually hand-dyed on Maui by Maui Yarn Arts. This colorway is inspired by ripe pineapple. I'll be stopping at the yarn shop just a mile from my condo, at least once, to pick up a new yarn or two.

Berries on the Vine by Cathleen StephenCast-On Magazine, November 2006

I have also managed to find 2 of the 3 colorways I needed to start my Berries on the Vine Pillow, by purchasing yarn from another Ravelry member's stash. I may have to purchase the 3rd colorway at a local yarn shop. My favorite shop, Far North Yarns , definitely carries Jo Sharp yarns. Tried to buy these while visiting the SF Bay Area, but the shops in my mom's area didn't carry Jo Sharp. Not sure when I'll get to the pillow, but looking forward to make it. I just hope after I let the guys know how much the yarn costs and the time I took to make it, they won't be using it for a pillow fight.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Getting ready to leave for California tonight and have packed up my Lotus Tank Top to finish while I'm down. The link isn't to my project but to another lady who has some great tips that I'm using to help me finish mine.

Thought I'd get this tank done before I left and I'm real close, but still have the shoulders to knit and then I'll need to block it before I can wear it. Hope to be posting a picture of me in it in sunny San Francisco.

This is one of two UFO's (Un-Finished Objects) that are part of my goal to finish before I start back up at work on July 23rd. The other is my Maui sock's that I have a 1/2 a sock left to knit.

And, of course, I'm looking ahead to two other projects I'd like to start. First is a sweater I saw in the Spring 2007 Interweave Knits Magazine. It's called The Dollar and a Half Cardigan. This looks like the perfect sweater to wear at work since it's always cold in the office. I'm sure I'll appreciate the stiff breeze from the ventilation system when menopause kicks in, a long time from know, but in the meantime, I usually have to wear a sweater to keep warm. The yarn in the pattern is Reynolds Soft Linen (53% linen, 47% acrylic) which should mean not an "itchy" sweater. The knitter whose project I have linked to used a worsted weight alpaca and I may have to check that yarn out also. Darn yarn shopping.

The other project I may get started soon, is a pillow that I'd like to put on one of our livingroom couches to make it both more comfortable and also to tie in the colors of the livingroom walls to the couch better. The pillow I choose is from the November 2006 Cast-On Magazine. The pattern is called Berries on the Vine Modular Pillow and it uses a yarn I am very fond of called Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed. This was the first yarn I'd used with silk and immediately fell in love with silk blends. So in addition to the type of yarn used in the pattern, the colors used in the pattern appear to actually be the colors I'd like to use. More yarn to buy again.

I'll have to post a picture of the pillow from the magazine later. Seems it's not my night to download pictures.

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About Me

I've been knitting on and off since I was 10. Taught myself after my grandmother decided she couldn't teach a lefty. Used a book to learn and just a few years ago found out from a friend that I was knitting right handed. I'm now knitting left handed (Continental) and much faster. I work 3 days a week at my son's school and have 2 sons and 2 dogs. My husband and I moved to Alaska over 17 years ago from San Francisco and we all enjoy living here, however, we wish winter was a month shorter on both ends.